Vivian Howard

Vivian Howard originally made a name for herself in the Manhattan restaurant world and with her own gourmet delivery service. Acclaim and potential investors poured in, but it was the offer from her own parents that called to her the loudest. They would help her build a restaurant — but with one catch. She had toopen it back home in Eastern North Carolina, a place to which she swore she would never return.

And so The Chef & the Farmer, located in Kinston, North Carolina, was born. Six years in, Vivian and her restaurant have won numerous accolades,including her selection as a James Beard semi-finalist, but the challenges continue. As the series opens, Vivian and Ben are juggling the restaurant, raising twins and anxiously building their own home — right next door to her parents.

Much more dynamic and personal than a typical cooking show, A CHEF’S LIFE celebrates modern Southern cuisine, seasonality, farmers, and food artisans — all through the lens of a working restaurant.